


Never

by RydiaAsuka



Category: Tales of Graces
Genre: Angst, M/M, PWP, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-29
Updated: 2013-08-29
Packaged: 2017-12-24 23:51:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/946168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RydiaAsuka/pseuds/RydiaAsuka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They had agreed that once one of them got married, they would stop. The trouble with that was, feelings always seemed to get in the way. Because you can't just ignore the one you love. That is a lesson sometimes learned the hard way.</p>
<p>Porn with (minimal) plot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Never

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Nienna](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nienna/gifts).



“You look tense, Richard.”

Tense did not even begin to cover it, the man in question noted dully as he looked up with a weak smile. There was an impressive amount of work involved in reforming a country, and he was at the heart of it all. After all, aside simply forming a government, there was also his own position to maintain. If he appeared weak, he had little doubt that there were factions within Windor that would challenge, or even remove, him to take his place.

Then there was the matter of regaining the confidence of not only his own citizens, but also the other nations of Ephinea, who all had good reason to hate him. Rulers and commoners alike, he wanted to please them all. Part of doing so meant making reprimands to those he had harmed, but he had to do so in a way that did not detract from Windor’s status or personal funds. Contrary to the beliefs of many, being king did _not_ mean that all tax dollars were his pay.

No, this debt was his alone to repay…and simple money could never cover it.

“It has…been a very long day, Asbel,” he admitted with a sigh, dropping his head back against his chair as his shoulders sagged just a little.

“You okay?” There was trepidation in the auburn-haired lord’s tone, and it brought Richard’s head up immediately, brow furrowing.

“Asbel?”

“I’m just…I want to ask you if there’s anything I can do to help?”

Quite suddenly, the blond’s lips quirked up in a playful smirk. “…did you have something in mind?”

The way the red rose in Asbel’s cheeks was beautiful. “N-no, I mean…well, I just want to be sure you’re okay.”

They were settled into the sitting room, stationed off of the king’s bedroom. Asbel was seated on the sofa across from Richard, and a merry fire blazed in the hearth, countering the winter chill that permeated the stone of the palace. Unable to stop himself, the blond’s gaze flickered to the closed door that led to his bedroom.

“It is fine, Asbel,” Richard quickly amended, a soft smile on his lips as he turned his gaze to the fire. “I was only jesting.”

“…no, you weren’t.” Nobody, _nobody_ could read him like Asbel could. It would do well to remember that. “I’m sorry, Richard…”

“You have nothing to apologise for, Asbel,” Richard replied, shaking his head. As he was speaking, the blond began to lean over, spanning part of the distance between them, one hand outstretched, before catching himself and sitting back. “Nothing.”

The way those heterochromatic eyes flickered away from him told Richard that he was far from believed. Again, Asbel was reading him better than he read himself, but what else was he to do? They had agreed—Richard had _sworn_ to himself not to interfere—and he would abide.

“Should I…send for Duke Dalen?” the younger man asked, gaze shifting back to his king. “Maybe he could arrange for a masseuse, or something?”

“I shall be fine, Asbel, but thank you for your concern. I appreciate it.” Sometimes, words were hard to say.

“Richard, I—you know I didn’t have…a choice. I had to, Mom, she…”

“Asbel,” he forced a smile, turning to face Asbel fully once more, “you have nothing to apologise for. I understand why you chose as you did.”

“…but, I…Richard…”

“You need not worry for me, Asbel.”

Familiar eyes hardened as the lord frowned. “You’re working yourself to the bone! How can I _not_ worry?”

Well, that part, at least, was true. He had so much to do, however, if his country was ever to become a democracy, and besides, working…helped. It distracted him.

“It merely comes with the territory, my friend,” he offered with a small smile.

“That doesn’t mean you can’t ever relax, though. Does it?”

“I am relaxing as we speak, old friend.”

Asbel stood, then, walking over and dropping to his knees at Richard’s feet, making the blond start faintly. This was not exactly new, but…

“Asbel, you need not kneel to me when we are in private, you know this.”

“I know,” the other man’s voice was somewhat hoarse, “but…I’m worried about you, Richard. So is Lambda.” Richard had to wonder if the spirit had ever actually _said_ as much. “You’re losing weight.”

“And you are certain of this?” the blond replied with an amused smile, though in truth he was anything but. Asbel was right, and on one hand it was nice that someone cared enough to notice, and on the other it was disconcerting that his best friend, who lived in another town, was the first to pick up on it. It was also…sweet.

…and saddening.

“I am.” Ah, that familiar conviction. “And I’m worried.”

“You need not be, Asbel.” Unable to stop himself, the king reached down and rested a hand on the other’s shoulder. “I shall be fine.”

“Richard…”

The moment Asbel’s head moved to rest against his knee, the blond shifted and stood, forcing Asbel to move back. “Should you…not be getting home, Asbel? I am sure Evelyn is waiting for you to return to Lhant.”

“…I told her I’d be gone a week, actually,” the man admitted, shrugging as he stood and looked away. “I…wanted to spend some time with you. I hope that’s okay.”

A genuine smile spread itself across Richard’s lips. “It is perfectly alright with me, Asbel. My home is your home. Though it is too bad she could not join you.” No, it…really was not, but he could never say that. “Her family is still here, is it not?”

“Yeah, it…” Asbel paused, and took a deep breath. “I…didn’t want her to come.”

“Why is that, Asbel?” he asked gently.

“Because…I wanted to see you, Richard. I’m worried about you, and…I miss you, too.”

“Well, you are always welcome here, Asbel.” Though he knew full well what Asbel was implying, but his sense of propriety would not allow him to respond. Right?

“Asbel…”

“Richard, look, I know I shouldn’t, but…I _miss_ you.”

The unspoken implication was strong, and Richard felt it all the way to his core. Dear Gloandi, he wanted…

“Richard, I want to…let me help you?”

Richard swallowed, but kept his features smooth. _Say no, say no…_

“Very well.”

Asbel kissed him, then, their lips meeting hard. There was no elegance to the gesture, but instead frustration that was born of endless days spent apart. Richard would never want to admit it, would _never_ show it, but he missed this terribly.

“I’ve missed you,” Asbel murmured against his lips.

That went for both of them, but rather than say so, Richard caught one of the other man’s wrists and tugged Asbel after him as he made for the bedroom. Before they had made it half way, however, Asbel stopped, his free hand rising to close over Richard’s own.

“No, Richard. This is about you. Let…let me? Please?”

He did not hesitate before nodding. “Of course, dear friend.” And then he bowed. “Your wish is my command.”

Unsurprisingly, Asbel flustered at that, but only for a moment. He was getting better at conducting himself, that was for sure. A part of that made Richard sad; he liked it when Asbel blustered. Still, it had its perks, too.

“Can…no, I mean, your room. Let’s go.”

His smile widened, and Richard obeyed, pushing open the door to his sleeping chamber and holding it for Asbel as his friend went through, before following the other man inside. He should not be doing this, he really should call it off…

Grabbing Asbel, he slammed their lips together. His lover met him half way, before pushing him back. Richard felt his back hit the wall. He moaned softly, letting the other’s tongue into his mouth. He met it with his own, rubbing it against Asbel’s.

Fingers moved in to his coat, unbuttoning it with a deft familiarity. Richard did not even really notice it when his own hands moved to push back Asbels’ own coat, shoving it down the other man’s shoulders and helping the auburn-haired man wriggle free of the material.

They engaged in an intricate dance born of experience, familiarity, and desperation, mutually stripping the layers of clothing away so they could run fingers too long apart across smooth skin and sleek muscles. Asbel had kept in shape, he noted as one hand ghosted over the other’s abdomen, tracing the faint toning of abdominal muscles with skilled fingers.

His fingers followed the faint trail of hair to Asbel’s belt buckle, his digits moving to release the clasp. His own was already undone, his pants and smalls pooled around his ankles as Asbel traced his hip, teasing the blond by refusing touch him anywhere else.

“Asbel…” he moaned softly, moving to shove the other’s pants down, only to have the man in question catch his hands, stopping the gesture.

“Bed.”

As Asbel stepped away, Richard complied, kicking away his lower clothing and moving to sit on his bed. From his seat, he watched as the other man scooped up his shed cravat, fingering the long strip of material before striding over to join the blond.

“Lay back.”

Obligingly, Richard complied, raising his wrists as he did so. There was no missing the faint tinge that painted his friend’s cheeks, but Asbel did not comment. No, all the man did was take advantage of the situation by lightly binding his king’s hands to the headboard.

“May I request a kiss?” Richard asked, smiling coyly at the determined lord.

“You…may,” Asbel said, though after a moment of gathering himself the man added, “but I won’t comply.”

Eyebrows rising, the blond let a soft chuckle escape him. “You are wonderful, Asbel.”

“So are you, Richard.” The response was surprising, but a moment later all conscious thought was pushed from his mind as Asbel climbed over his legs and a hot, wet mouth closed itself over his untouched member.

Before he could stop himself, his hips bucked up, and only Asbel’s hands landing on his hips and pinning him down stopped him from likely gagging the other man. Trembling, he managed to still himself, though he could not help a jerk at his bindings. He handed to touch Asbel…

The would-be knight was out of practice, but Richard had long gone untouched, so he barely noticed. Asbel’s hot tongue swirled around his shaft, tonguing the pulsing vein on the underside as the man pulled back to toy with his slit, making the king moan unashamedly.

As he felt his climax approach, he gasped out, “A-Asbel, I am…!”

He was not disappointed when Asbel did not pull away, and instead allowed him to climax. Watching his friend sit back, licking his lips with a faint hint of colour to his cheeks was…lovely. They should not be doing this, but…

“I love you, Richard…”

“I love you too, Asbel,” he replied without a moment’s hesitation. He should be thinking this over, controlling himself more, but it was…impossible, with the way the other man was looming over him, taking control and pleasuring him.

…and it was the truth.

“Do you…?”

“Same…it is in the same place it has always been,” he managed after a moment, his voice failing him somewhat at first. This was all so wrong. So, so very wrong.

Instead of saying that, instead of calling this off and insisting Asbel return to Lhant—return to his _wife_ —Richard merely watched as the boy leaned over him and retrieved a bottle of lubricant from the desk drawer. It had sat there, untouched, for nearly a year. Truthfully, he had never thought to use it again, following Asbel’s wedding, but…here they were.

They should not be, but they were.

He relaxed easily with the insertion of the first finger, and after a moment Asbel chuckled. There was an almost sad note to it, but for once Richard let it slid. “I feel like a blushing virgin again…”

“If it is any consolation, you do not seem one.”

Blessedly, Asbel’s lips found his then, and he was no longer forced to try to speak as the other man’s tongue invaded his mouth. He focussed on the intricate dance of their tongues as a second finger entered him, drawing a shiver from the blond as his muscles where gently pried open.

Richard liked this. He liked being able to lie back and let someone else make the decisions, and instead just go along with things for once. Here, he did not have to worry about funding, or public relations, or trading with Strahta. The formation of a democratic government ceased to be an issue, and, just for a little while, he ceased to be king. A king who needed to think of an heir, and marriage…

Here, he was just an idiot who had been head-over-heals in love with his best friend for almost a decade.

By the time a third finger entered him, Richard found himself dearly wishing his hands were freed. He wanted to touch Asbel; to run his fingers over soft skin and through mussed-up hair. He knew Asbel wanted to spend time enjoying his body, a fact evidenced by the way fingers and lips traced his skin, laving over and tweaking at his nipples, along with every other inch of his skin, but it was still…frustrating.

A face pressed into his neck, soft lips tracing his Adam’s apple before the man’s teeth bit gently against the sensitive skin. Those lips moved lower, and tongue joined them, licking and sucking hard enough to bruise. It would be covered by his cravat, and even were it not, Richard did not think he would have had the frame of mind to protest, because by Gloandrake he _wanted_ to be Asbel’s.

When Asbel found his prostate, he barely managed to stop from jerking his hips up in surprise, and he could all but _feel_ the man smiling against his neck. Asbel knew _exactly_ what he was doing—in the name of the three dragons, Asbel was _teasing_ him!—and that fact just made it better.

…Asbel, who was still untouched, his belt hanging open but pants still on other than that. Asbel, who was flushed and clearly hard. Asbel, who he had loved for as long as he knew what love really was…

Asbel, who had saved him in every way imaginable, but who had failed to do the same for their beloved friend. That same friend, who Richard was sure, would have…been enough to keep Asbel from doing this, had she been in Evelyn’s place. Richard did not want to consider how he felt about that.

“Richard, how…?”

The unspoken words were unnecessary, because the blond understood. Smiling fondly, he shifted, spreading his legs to allow the other man to settle between them. It had been…so long. He just wanted to be able to see Asbel. Nothing fancy tonight.

Richard tried to suppress the pooling in his abdomen as Asbel sat back, the man shimmying out of the rest of his clothing and tossing it aside. It had been too long since he had seen the auburn-haired man like this, and Richard was not ashamed as his body responded, flaccid member perking back up as he gazed upon the flushed, bared skin of the man he unabashedly loved with all of his being.

He watched with hooded lids as Asbel coated himself with the lubricant, half-wishing he could perform the task himself. It was not to be, however, and he was left with only the option of watching as the slick fluid coated the length of Asbel’s member. It was a sight too long denied to his eyes.

…the thought hurt.

Asbel lifted one of his legs, and Richard settled it over the man’s shoulder without complaint. After a few more moments of fumbling, hands landed on his hips and repositioned him, eventually guiding the coated member to his entrance, before slowly urging it inside.

Richard relaxed as best he could around the welcome intrusion, accepting inch after inch into his body with a pleased moan. With a pleased groan of his own, Asbel rolled his hips forward, pushing until their bodies were fully joined, the hair of Asbel’s abdomen tickling lightly at Richard’s skin.

Gazing up lovingly at the man hovering over him, Richard could only smile fondly as Asbel leaned down and licked his lips before once again pressing their mouths together. They remained like that for a long moment before Asbel raised himself back up, pulling back slowly before sliding easily back in. He repeated the motion, gradually gaining speed.

The obvious intent that was all but seeping off of the man was to take it slow, but that did not last and before long Asbel was slamming into him, and Richard responded as best he could, bucking up and throwing his head back to gasp theatrically. Asbel knew just where to aim to drive him mad, and there was no denying that the king of Windor was writhing underneath one of his liege lords. And loving every minute of it.

Asbel’s face buried in his neck again, the man’s breathing hot and fast against Richard’s sweaty skin. He could all but read Asbel’s approaching climax in the erratic way the other man was starting to thrust, and the heavy breathing. A moment before he felt the spill of hot fluid into him, he dimly felt teeth press into his skin as the man bit down at the junction between his shoulder and neck.

Richard was too caught up in his own approaching orgasm to care.

Immediately after Asbel peeked, the man halted, barely holding himself up on shaking arms as he gazed down at the bound and trembling blond under him. Richard tried not to groan in frustration as he felt Asbel’s hot skin slide over his aching member, but he was not successful.

“Richard…can I stay t-tonight? Here, I m-mean?” the man forced out breathlessly. Asbel was staring straight into his eyes, seemingly his very soul, and Richard could only nod in response.

“Asbel, I…” he began, his own words struggled as he fought to catch his own breath, “would like th-that.”

And then the man pulled out and crawled off of him entirely, drawing a frustrated gasp from the still-hard blond. What was Asbel…? He tried not to look impatient as he watched Asbel sit down, cross-legged, and work to catch his breath. Judging by the almost _amused_ look the other was giving him, Richard did not think he was overly successful.

“Can I…have you all night?” Asbel finally asked, running a hand down Richard’s bare thigh and driving the blond absolutely mad with want.

“Y- _yes_ , Asbel. What…whatever you wish…!”

Asbel was calming down, and that hand shifted to stroke his inner thigh. “So if I untied you and told you to go stand by the wall…?”

A stab of _need_ shot through the blond again, and his only response was to jerk at his bindings. He no longer cared about anything but Asbel, and what was happening right now. The consequences, if there were any, could be dealt with later.

“Not so fast, Richard…” Asbel leaned back over, his fingers ghosting over the bite mark, “I think you’re—sorry, you’re bleeding.”

“Have I ever cared before, Asbel?” he asked, his own voice coming back under control at last, though he was still left wanting.

A sad smile, and a soft sigh. “No, you haven’t—Richard, I love you. I know…that that can never leave this room, but I love you. I…I want you to know that. Because there’s nothing worse than not telling someone how you feel before it’s too late.” The name was unspoken, but still omnipresent.

_Cheria_.

Staring up at the man he loved with all of his soul, Richard smiled back, just as sadly. “And I you, Asbel.” _And I do not care how long it takes, I will wait forever for you…_

**Author's Note:**

> …porn with a mini plot and angst. Why can’t I do anything without plot. Why. Ah well, I think this is the least plot I’ve ever put into my pwp, so that’s a bonus. Maybe… If I hadn’t had such a tight schedule to write this, it probably would have had more. Wanted to finish it before the person it’s for went away, though. 
> 
> Also, Richard, uh…how is it that your PoV makes even smut…tasteful? This is new. 
> 
> Ah well, hope you enjoyed, dearie~ And everyone and anyone else who read it. Thanks for reading, and please don’t hesitate to comment or critique me. I’m still new to smut. 
> 
> …and Evelyn in the maid from Barona’s inn, if anybody was wondering. I ship it.


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